‘Five stars to Britain at War, and a hearty recommendation to librarians everywhere to acquire a copy so future generations can become enlightened.’

This conclusion to the review by Don Stone must surely be the most favourable of all the five star reviews that the book – or indeed any of its peers – has so far received. It has encouraged me to write a fuller romance and social history of the period which is currently undergoing an edit and will shortly seek a literary agent / publisher.

I will go ahead and get my only criticism out of the way. From the title, I felt like there would be more actual story than there was. There are some experiences detailed regarding the author and his family, but I really wanted more. The enticing thing about a book like this is the lure of seeing such a tremulous time in history play out from human eyes and emotions instead of the dry history rhetoric we all know from school. The parts of this that are in the book are fantastic. I really wanted more.

The quotes are perfectly placed and add that needed emotion while reading the dryer details of war. It actually helps keep the reader interested instead of skipping those pages. There are many things that Mr. Churchill did in his political career that I disagree with. However, there are also things I think he handled in an impressive manner. Using him for the majority of the quotes was a brilliant way to “live” this story like you were actually there.

The book is well researched and well formatted. There were a few of the statistics that really surprised me. I have read a lot about World War Two and I was surprised to find new information. These added details really help the reader understand the immense strategy and luck that kept Britain from being invaded.

In conclusion, I enjoyed learning more about this time in history through the eyes of someone who lived it. I would like to see the author write a book with more eye witness accounts of this time. Mainly, the years after the war ended and the rebuilding of life.

I just finished reading Britain at War 1939-1945 by James Lingard. Britain at War is a chronological story of the major events that occurred during World War II, interspersed with the author’s, and other personal eye witness accounts of those events, affecting Britain — during those years.

The text introduces the reader to the state and effectiveness of the British RAF, German Luftwaffe, British Navy, German U-Boats, E-Boats, and ground offensives. Interesting reading includes informative facts of the high number of civilian casualties resulting from German bombings in London as well as the major campaigns against the Germans at major fronts in North Africa, India, Italy, Poland and France.

Personal stories are included in the text describing Lingard’s experience as a young boy in Britain, one of which was learning that the shelter his family lived in had been destroyed by German bombs while they were luckily away at the time. Another interesting personal story includes relocating to the South Britain coast with his family for safety that was believed to be less interest to German bombers that ended up being surprisingly bombed by a few of the German Luftwaffe forcing their departure from the location.

Other interesting reading describes the V1 and V2 bombs the Germans developed towards the end of the war used on Britain while at the same time the Americans had developed their atom bomb that would eventually be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war against Japan. The text also gives interesting facts surrounding the build-up of 1.5 million American soldiers in Britain prior to the famous D-Day invasion, the 150,000 man offensive, 10,000 man casualty, the Allies put forth on D-Day to famously successfully storm the beaches of Normandy.

Strengths

Much is written about World War II. A lot of what is written are lengthy texts containing mostly facts and dates surrounding the war. What I like about Britain at War is the text is not too exhaustive but gives a chronological, succinct account of the major events of the war. Strategies of both the Axis and Allies are given brief attention and how they succeeded or failed, which I liked. The book I find to be a good overview of what transpired in a shorter text form while covering the major events.

Another strength of the book compared to other wartime books published is the personal accounts of the author while living through the war described. These add a unique human element to the book that gives the reader a sense of realness to the war and how it affected real every-day people, in particular this family in Britain living through the German air bombings.

Finally, the facts that were conveyed in the book I felt were not too over done to overwhelm and bore the reader. I liked that attention was given to the number of soldiers involved in various campaigns on both the Allies and Axis, casualties suffered, and interesting facts about the British RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes, German Luftwaffe, naval destroyers, U-boats, E-boats, etc., as well as explanation of military strategy from both the Axis and Allies perspective described.

Weaknesses

The book was well-edited. I didn’t encounter grammatical or spelling errors. The book was put together well, one chapter building on the other chronologically from 1939-1945 as the title conveys, so I cannot say that editing was a weakness.

What I would have liked maybe from the book is more personal stories. I think the commonly known war campaigns and facts may have outdone the personal stories as far as balance in the book goes.

Significant personal stories worth mentioning may have been limited to the author but maybe more other primary accounts heard from neighbours, friends or relatives and how their lives were affected as well during the time would give the book the additional human touch. Much attention is given to the actual war itself throughout the world than simply what was actually going on day-to-day in Britain.

Conclusion

Britain at War is a terrific book covering the chronological major events of World War II from a Brit’s perspective. The book contains coverage of wartime facts, military strategy from Axis and Allies, a quote per chapter from Churchill, Britain’s leader during the war, descriptions and effectiveness of various military weapons used during the war, as well as personal stories from the author himself having lived through the bombings in England by the German Luftwaffe and, gladly, avoiding a ground invasion from Germany of Britain all together.

The book flows well in its chronological account of the major events of the war. The personal stories keep the book personable and the facts conveyed about the major events of the war were not overdone to bore the reader and make a stale book. It’s also a concisely written book that leaves the reader with a good survey of the major events of the years 1939-1945 worldwide as well as in Britain itself. I give Britain at War 1939-1945, 4 stars.

“Who cares about Poland? Where is it, anyway? What is to become of us?”

So exclaims author James Lingard’s mother at the beginning of the murderous world conflict that would ultimately claim millions of lives on both sides of the Atlantic and indeed, from both allies and foes alike.

As a young boy in Britain during the critical war years of 1939 through 1945, Lingard and his mother and father endured many hardships and constantly lived in peril, as did all of the U.K.’s citizenry. This is his excellent story, well-researched for historical accuracy, but highly personalized to maintain the interest of even the most casual reader.

Recalling his first air raid, Lingard tells us the first words of an air raid warden, who had been looking for them while they huddled in a nearby wood — survivors of a picnic dangerously interrupted:

“I was about to say you should have been in your shelter. But the shelter received a direct hit. There’s no trace of it. Just a huge crater. You’d all have been blown to smithereens.”

It is war’s capriciousness in dealing out life and death that the author documents so eloquently in this book. Bombs fall in regular and terrifying numbers. The nation’s leaders come dangerously close to making disastrous decisions. And the stalwart British people do what they must to survive yet another day.

On a trip to the shore, Lingard waves happily to a low-flying airplane. Its German pilot waves back. And the small boy narrowly escapes arrest as a spy.

Lingard’s mother frequently listens to the wireless for war news, but is often more captivated by music such as “Run Rabbit Run,” played at a fast tempo to speed up production in the factories.

“We still had no effective answer to the German might. Hitler’s bombers continued to harass us, and he tried his utmost to starve us into submission. In the period May to December, 1940, the enemy sank 745 merchant vessels with a gross tonnage of over three million tons. On 17th to 19th October, German U-boats sank 33 ships, twenty of which were in one convoy . . .”

It is this very attention to detail — combined with the book’s inherent human interest — that elevates it above so many books about World War Two. For me personally, it put a very real face on a dark period in civilized history — a period which I, like so many others of my Baby Boomer generation, only experience through watching dry documentaries on The History Channel.

How refreshing, then, to have this warm and intimate look inside a great nation’s stalwart struggle against almost insurmountable odds — and to rejoice with the author at its ultimate survival.

Five stars to Britain at War, and a hearty recommendation to librarians everywhere to acquire a copy so future generations can become enlightened.

Britain at War 1939 to 1945: What Was Life Like During the War? by James Lingard is a chronicle of the Second World War through the eyes of a British citizen. It begins with the discernible preparations for attack, like digging trenches and underground shelters, or adapting to blackout regimes. A good picture of the difficult times emerges from this with the rationing of essentials, unheated rooms or frequent blackouts becoming commonplace. The Thames being visible at night giving away the adjoining areas to bombers during raids, the author mentions, led to greater share of bombs being received by the areas around the river.

This book also gives a good account of the Allies’ campaigns in all parts of the world.

The frequent exhortations by great leaders like Winston Churchill keeping morale high, the national spirit remaining alive at all times, can be seen in these pages. Rather than from a professional angle, James has done a wonderful job of reflecting the nature and depth of many a military campaign from the viewpoint of the survivors. I found this a beautiful representation of the fears the public had and the remarkable resilience they showed to the recurring difficulties of living.

I can’t help but relish the providential escape the author and his clan had when, on hearing an air raid siren, they happened to arrive late at the shelter, only to find the very shelter destroyed by bombs!

Banks traditionally lent to UK small/medium sized companies against security which included a debenture charging all their assets.

The security afforded by such a debenture is far less today than it used to be. If a business failed, all recoveries (less fees) would usually have gone to the bank holding a debenture, often leaving nothing for ordinary creditors. In that scenario, banks more readily lent to small businesses than now – thereby stimulating the economy. Why do small companies now find it more difficult to obtain bank facilities?

Bankers (incorrectly) believed a debenture gave them a fixed charge over the company’s debts – now they have only a floating charge ranking behind employees and other preferential creditors. Charges over stock increasingly suffer from retention of title claims. Legislation has reinstated the priority of liquidation expenses and a pool of funds for unsecured creditors has to be set aside from floating charge assets.

The proposed new s 176ZB of the Insolvency Act 1986 will mean that recoveries from fraudulent trading, wrongful trading, transactions at an undervalue, voidable preferences and extortionate credit transactions will not be caught by a floating charge but pass to creditors generally.

Again, debenture holders (with some exceptions) no longer have the ability to appoint an administrative receiver of their choosing nor to prevent the making of an administration order. They will normally have the right to appoint an administrator, but he (unlike a receiver) will owe duties to all creditors (albeit aware of who chose him).

Has UK insolvency law swung too far against the banks which it used to protect?

Let me disclose up front that I received a PDF edition of this book as a giveaway in return for a review, and that the book could be just as easily categorised as “History” as “Biographies & Memoirs).

The blurb for the book says that it “gives a short insight into the horrors of the home front told from the perspective of someone who actually experienced them, a fascinating look at the harsh realities of life in Britain, life full of drama and the danger of impending death. How did a family with a small child caught up in such a war survive? There follows an overview of the major campaigns in World War II, giving an insight into the big picture, enlivened by personal experiences and quotations from Churchill.”

What attracted me to the book was the promise that it would give an insight into the horrors of the home front from the perspective of someone who actually experienced them as a young boy. And it does do this, but this section of the book is far too short, and the overview of the major campaigns section is far too long as this section is not detailed enough for anyone with even a cursory interest in the history of WWII. Having said that, the two separate parts of the book are very well written. It’s just that both are too brief and not detailed enough for my own tastes. If you are only looking for a quick look at life in Britain during the war, or a very short summary of the major campaigns of the war, add an extra star to my (3 star) rating.

REVIEWS: SECOND EDITION OF BRITAIN AT WAR 1939 to 1945 What was life like during the war? by James Lingard

Two new reviews of the SECOND EDITION OF BRITAIN AT WAR 1939 to 1945 What was life like during the war? by James Lingard have been published. One awarded 4 stars by a lady from Manchester who wrote:

Second edition

‘This book is part war history, part social commentary and part memoir. In chronological order it delves into life in Britain during WWII. I don’t like reading lots of facts and figures and don’t have an interest in aircraft and war, but I do have an interest in the life of people in all kinds of situations so I skimmed the history and focused in on the story of a young boy growing up in war torn England. It is well written in this genre and my favourite part was the introductory pages which gave a brief history of his grandfather’s life. As a follow up I would encourage My Lingard to hone in on his grandfather and tell his story of a chapel going, lay preaching, trade unionist balancing social justice with holiness.’

The other a bad review from a lady in Vienna – perhaps she did not like my assertion that Hitler made serious mistakes!

Readers will have their own views but please let me know what they are.

SECOND EDITION OF BRITAIN AT WAR 1939 to 1945 What was life like during the war? by James Lingard

The second edition of the book, published to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War, gives a short insight into life in wartime Britain. It contains dramatic episodes and is told from the perspective of people who actually experienced the war, reflecting the emotions of the time; with an overview of the major campaigns, enlivened by quotations from Churchill’s speeches. The book will help later generations understand what life was like and evoke memories for those who were there. How did a family with a small child survive the air raids and rationing?

I am told that the chapters about the Home Front, depicting my life as a schoolboy, are particularly interesting and have made extracts from these chapters available free on Wattpad.